Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Larger 2WD vs Smaller 4WD for plowing snow

[jedon]

The Question:
Which is better for plowing 2 miles of gravel road a few times each winter?
1. 75HP heavy tractor 2WD
2. 40HP medium tractor 4WD

More details:
I am building a house on 100 acres in the woods in Northern California ( when the smoke clears! ).
I need a tractor for moving rocks and logs and dirt and pushing slash around and digging trenches etc.
The most important thing I need to do with it is plow 2 miles of gravel road in the winter, we get around 4-5feet so it's not like the frozen northland or anything but still prevents us from going to town.
I found a great deal on a Massey Ferguson 50E Industrial tractor with a 4-1 loader and a box scraper. My only reservation is that it's 2WD. If I was to buy some other tractor I could only afford something around 40HP but it would be 4WD.

Thanks!
-Jedon

[Charlesaf3]

I'd guess the 4wd with weighted tires - traction is usually more important than horsepower.

Might consider a snowblower too?

Others will hopefull weigh in with more experience.

[Egon]

Go for the four wheel drive with chains.

Just for interest many parts of the Frozen North are considered desert as little precipitation falls!

[jedon]

Thanks,
I know it's all about traction, but I am unclear about say a 4000lb 4WD vs a 7000lb 2WD, power aside the weight alone might be a deciding factor?
Hardly anybody seems to use blowers here due to the high water content in the snow, they call it Sierra Cement. It tends to destroy blowers pretty quickly.
I was just going to put a blade on it for now and see how that works first. My neighbor has a 40HP Tyr and says he's going to get a blower for it, I look forward to seeing how that works out for him but I need my setup before him so I can't use it make a decision.

[jedon]

Here痴 a local ad for it: MASSEY-FERGUSON : Nevada County Trader

[Negligence]

You'll be fine with the 2wd. You can add chains to it if needed, but with weight on the rear you should be OK.

Just keep in mind that 75hp is a big tractor to be running just for plowing snow / moving rocks, etc. A 40hp will do the same job just fine and save you gas money.

[N80]

For pushing something with a loader and for better traction and control I'd go for the 40hp 4wd without a second thought. It is true that a big powerful 2wd gets great traction on the rear and with the added hp it might could pull the little 40 hp around like a toy.

A 4wd gives you the advantage of much better steering capability when traction is poor. It also gives you much better breaking if there are any hills or grades invloved.

A tractor that size could also get a bit unweildy.

I'm sure plenty of folks will tune in and say they've been plowing snow with a big 2wd all their lives and its just fine. I don't doubt it. I just think the 4wd 40 would be better.

Disclosure note: I've never driven a tractor of any sort in the snow.

[flusher]

The Question:
Which is better for plowing 2 miles of gravel road a few times each winter?
1. 75HP heavy tractor 2WD
2. 40HP medium tractor 4WD

More details:
I am building a house on 100 acres in the woods in Northern California ( when the smoke clears! ).
I need a tractor for moving rocks and logs and dirt and pushing slash around and digging trenches etc.
The most important thing I need to do with it is plow 2 miles of gravel road in the winter, we get around 4-5feet so it's not like the frozen northland or anything but still prevents us from going to town.
I found a great deal on a Massey Ferguson 50E Industrial tractor with a 4-1 loader and a box scraper. My only reservation is that it's 2WD. If I was to buy some other tractor I could only afford something around 40HP but it would be 4WD.

Thanks!
-Jedon

If 2WD is your only reservation, go with the 50E for the weight advantage and get yourself a good set of chains for snow plowing. With 100 acres on which to work and play you'll find uses for the extra hp real quick.

I started in June05 with a new 21 hp Kubota B7510HST (4WD, 21 hp engine, 17 hp pto) and an LA302 FEl (4ft wide bucket) which got me through the house construction phase on my 10 acre place (flat pasture land). In July 06 I added a 1964 Mf-135 diesel (2WD, no FEL) as a project tractor to learn tractor maintenance by restoring an old, but runnning, tractor. In March08 I traded the 7510 for a new Mahindra 5525 (2WD, gear tranny, 55 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 5200lb without the FEL and loaded rear tires) with the ML250 FEL (6ft bucket, 2900 lb lift capacity at the bucket pivot pins). Need more hp and tractor weight for plowing my 7 acre hayfield.

My advice is buy as much tractor as you can as soon as you can. $7K seems like a good price if that 50E is a clean tractor (no missing parts, no leaks, engine starts and runs OK, no blue smoke, gauges work, pto works, 3pt hitch works, smooth shifting, FEL works OK--not sluggish) with low hours (a few thousand or less).

[Wayne County Hose]

You will have better control of the 2wd in the snow. When plowing snow, much of the steering is done with the brakes. You put some good hog ring chains on that thing and there almost won't be snow you couldn't plow. I plowed my driveway with a JD model 50 for years, and during the blizzards, I would plow out the neighbors driveways because their little 30 horse 4wd's couldn't push it. They would nibble at it like hitting a boulder with a chipping hammer. I could push a full blades worth. The only thing that would stop me was that the blade wasn't high enough.

I would buy the old Massey and put a snow blade on it for the winter. Put a drawbar thru a 55 gallon drum and fill it with cement, lift it with the 3 point hitch for weight oin the rear tires, then have some fun!

Anyway, if you can find a 40 hp 4wd for $7,000 that is in better shape than the Massey, I'd be surprised.

[jedon]

Thanks for all the advice, the 50E is now $6K! It does have one small hydrolic leak near the front loader arm according to the owner. I'll go check it out tomorrow.